Oklahoma City Thunder Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Miller, Harden, Jazz

February 4th, 2014 at 11:21am CST by Chuck Myron

Andre Miller‘s estrangement from the Nuggets has driven down his value, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Sources from around the league tell Deveney they believe the Timberwolves, who are eager to add a guard, and the Kings are the main contenders for Miller. If Miller is to suit up for the Nuggets again, he’ll have to approach them about the idea, since the team isn’t going to reach out to him, coach Brian Shaw says, according to Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post. Here’s more from the Northwest:

James Harden wouldn’t tell Henry Abbott of ESPN.com whether he’d have signed with the Thunder if they had offered him the same max extension the Rockets did. Still, he says he could have envisioned a long-term future in OKC under the right circumstances, pointing to his strong relationship with his ex-teammates.
The Jazz are unlikely to make a move before the deadline, unless a significant offer for Marvin Williams or Richard Jefferson emerges, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider only).
The Thunder have assigned Andre Roberson to the D-League, the team announced via Twitter. Oklahoma City often shuttled a handful of players back and forth from the Tulsa 66ers last season, but Roberson is the only one they’ve sent down this year.

Sixers Intensify Push To Trade Evan Turner

February 3rd, 2014 at 11:21am CST by Chuck Myron

The Sixers are becoming more aggressive in their pursuit of a trade before the deadline, and Evan Turner is at the forefront of their efforts, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. The Thunder had interest in Turner earlier this year, and the Suns had discussions with the Sixers about acquiring him, but there’s no movement on either front, according to Deveney, who hears that Philly’s insistence on draft compensation for Turner has held up talks.

Philadelphia is reportedly seeking first-round picks in trades for Turner, Spencer Hawes and Thaddeus Young. Turner is slated for restricted free agency this summer, but he would become an unrestricted free agent if the Sixers decline to tender a more-than-$8.7MM qualifying offer. One GM tells Deveney that he’d be reluctant to give up assets for a player he could simply sign outright in a few months.

The trade chatter is no surprise to Turner, who tells Deveney that he’s not at all fazed by it, and that he never expected to receive an extension when he was eligible for one this past offseason. The former No. 2 overall pick is averaging a career-high 18.4 points per game on a depleted Sixers roster.

Southwest Notes: James, Thunder, Mavs

February 2nd, 2014 at 7:46pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest out of the Southwest Division..

The Grizzlies are considering picking up Mike James on a 10-day deal, according to Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal (via Twitter). The guard inked a 10-day pact with the Bulls on January 22nd but Chicago allowed it to lapse rather than sign him to a second one.
The Thunder announced that they have recalled forward Andre Roberson from the Tulsa 66ers. Roberson, who is very familiar with the trip from Oklahoma City to Tulsa at this point, recorded two double-doubles while averaging 14.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.75 steals, 1.75 blocks and 31.3 minutes in four games during his most recent assignment. Overall, the forward is averaging 15.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.45 steals, 1.45 blocks and 35.2 minutes in eleven games with Tulsa.
The Mavericks announced today that they have recalled rookie guard Shane Larkin from the Texas Legends of the D-League. Larkin has played in 32 games for the Mavericks and is averaging 3.6 points and 1.8 assists in 12.5 minutes per contest.

Odds & Ends: Durant, ‘Melo, Rockets

January 30th, 2014 at 5:39pm CST by Ryan Raroque

There are plenty of things to look forward to tonight in the NBA, including the announcement of the All-Star game reserves as well as the follow-up showdown between the Warriors and Clippers, whose Christmas Day match-up gave us a taste of how intriguing the playoff atmosphere in the Western Conference could be come April. Shortly after the 105-103 loss, Clippers forward Blake Griffin spoke about being ejected and didn’t seem too happy with Golden State:

“If you look at it, I didn’t do anything and I got thrown out of the game. It all boils down to they (referees) fell for it…To me, it’s cowardly basketball. I don’t know their intentions, but it worked…If I knew the answer I’d probably be in a different position. Tonight I got two technicals for nothing.”

Although Warriors coach Mark Jackson continues to insist that LAC-GSW isn’t a rivalry, Matt Moore of CBS Sports provides the evidence which suggests otherwise. In the meantime, here are some links to pass along from around the Association this afternoon:

Kevin Durant‘s decision this summer to sign with Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports agency came from a desire to enhance his off-court marketing, and it had nothing to do with his feelings about Oklahoma City, sources tell Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.
An agent with ties to the Knicks tells Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling that he thinks Carmelo Anthony is “too Hollywood” to choose the Bulls in free agency and prefers New York or Los Angeles instead.
Some executives around the league were put off by the public negotiating the Rockets did when Omer Asik was on the block, and other front-office types were annoyed with Houston’s boasts after the Dwight Howard signing, as Zwerling reports in the same piece.
The Bulls would be “ecstatic” if Nikola Mirotic signed this summer for the mid-level exception, tweets Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. He’s almost certainly referring to the non-taxpayer’s mid-level, which would allow for a starting salary of $5.305MM.
Marco Belinelli says the Bulls didn’t make an offer to re-sign him this past summer, and he finds that surprising, as Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com observes. The Bulls chose to sign Mike Dunleavy instead, reportedly because they felt he was a better fit with Derrick Rose.
Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays a report from El Mundo Deportivo that China and Russia have decided to withdraw their bids from the FIFA World Cup Wild Card. Ryan Wosltat of the Toronto Sun (via Twitter) says that with those two teams out of the picture and Brazil, Greece, and Turkey locks for the tournament, then Canada should have a shot to make it as well.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Nets Eyeing Kevin Durant For 2016

January 30th, 2014 at 8:31am CST by Chuck Myron

The Nets are planning to pursue Kevin Durant when his contract expires after the 2015/16 season, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Brooklyn is set to have plenty of cap room in the summer of 2016, in spite of the team’s record payroll for this season, so it’s no surprise that GM Billy King and company have set their sights on the player most likely to be the top prize on the market that year.

Durant became the first major NBA client of Jay Z and the Roc Nation Sports agency earlier this year. Jay Z is a former minority owner of the Nets, though Durant has maintained that the hip hop icon will have no influence on his choice of teams, Bondy notes.

The three-time NBA scoring leader has dropped “odd hints,” as Marc Stein of ESPN.com put it in October, that he’s anxious to win a championship as the Thunder have shed key pieces in cost-cutting moves. The three-time NBA scoring leader said this past fall that he’s “not thinking that far down the line” with regard to 2016, and that he’s content in Oklahoma City, though he’s not sure what his future holds.

An Eastern Conference executive told Bondy that he believes Durant will leave the Thunder, though the exec acknowledged that it would be difficult for the five-time All-Star to find a better sidekick than Russell Westbrook, whose contract doesn’t expire until the summer of 2017. The Nets could have room enough to sign another marquee free agent to pair with Durant in 2016, since their only commitment for the following season is the final year of Deron Williams‘ deal, worth $22.3MM. Williams has an early termination option he can exercise in the summer of 2016, so there’s a chance his money won’t be on the Nets’ books. Brooklyn also has a team option it can decline on Mason Plumlee‘s rookie scale contract.

Durant appears headed for his first MVP award as he averages a career-high 31.3 points per game, which puts him far out in front in the race for what would be his fourth scoring title. There’s little doubt that teams around the league are considering the chances they could bring him aboard two summers from now, just as Oklahoma City will surely do all it can to retain him.

Several Trade Exceptions Set To Expire

January 29th, 2014 at 3:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

The February 20th trade deadline will bring an end to swap talk until the end of the season, and it also coincides with a day that an asset will vanish for a half-dozen NBA teams. Those clubs all have trade exceptions that expire on February 21st, the one-year anniversary of last year’s trade deadline. Trade exceptions can be used to claim a player off waivers, so it’s possible one of the six teams could make such a move on the 21st, but waiver claims are rare, so the trade deadline will effectively make these exceptions go away.

Another team faces a much more accelerated timetable if it wants to use its pair of exceptions that expire Thursday. The Grizzlies created two exceptions in the Rudy Gay trade that transpired on January 30th, 2013. They already missed last week’s deadline to use two exceptions, worth $2,083,042 and $762,195, that came about via last year’s three-for-one deal. Still, it seems there’s little chance that Memphis will make a move today or tomorrow that would allow the team to use its exceptions from the Gay trade, as I explain below.

Grizzlies

$2,264,453 (Expires 1/30/14) — Memphis used most of what once was a $7,489,453 exception generated via the Gay trade to accommodate Courtney Lee‘s $5.225MM salary earlier this month.
$1,300,000 (Expires 1/30/14) — The Grizzlies also created this exception in the same trade that sent Gay to the Raptors. The $1.3MM is a vestige of Hamed Haddadi‘s salary. Still, with less than $1MM separating Memphis from luxury tax territory and little talk of a deal in the works, it seems doubtful that the Grizzlies will use either of these exceptions.

Heat

$854,389 — This exception is left over from the trade that sent Dexter Pittman to the Grizzlies, but it doesn’t provide much flexibility, since it could only be used to a minimum-salary player or a pro-rated contract.

Knicks

$854,389 — Created in the deal that sent Ronnie Brewer to the Thunder, this exception will be of little use, just like Miami’s expiring trade exception. New York can only use it to absorb a minimum-salary player or a pro-rated contract.

Magic

$1,500,000 — The J.J. Redick deal already netted Orlando a key piece of its core in Tobias Harris, and the Magic could reap more even more benefits if they use this exception created from the salary of Gustavo Ayon, who also went to Milwaukee in the Redick trade.

Thunder

$2,338,721 — Oklahoma City created this exception in the Eric Maynor trade last year, and it seems there’s a decent chance the Thunder will use it. They can use nearly the entire exception without going over the luxury tax line to bolster their roster for the playoffs.

Warriors

$762,195 — Much like the trade exceptions for the Heat and Knicks, Golden State has limited flexibility. The only way the Warriors can use the exception they created when they shipped Jeremy Tyler to the Hawks is if they acquire a rookie or one-year vet making the minimum salary or another veteran on a pro-rated deal.

Wizards

$314,387 — Washington already used most of this exception, originally valued at $1,198,680, to absorb Malcolm Lee‘s salary in the trade that brought in Marcin Gortat at the beginning of the season. The only sort of player the Wizards could acquire with the remaining portion of the exception, created when they offloaded Jordan Crawford, is someone on a tiny pro-rated contract. And that acquisition would have to come as a waiver claim, since no one with a salary small enough to fit is eligible to be traded.

To see all of the league’s outstanding trade exceptions, check out our updated list, which you can access year-round on the Hoops Rumors Features menu on the right side of the website.

Royal Ivey To Sign With Chinese Team

January 29th, 2014 at 9:02am CST by Chuck Myron

TUESDAY, 9:02am: Ivey will play with the Guangdong Southern Tigers, according to Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia.

MONDAY, 8:58am: The Thunder’s reunion with guard Royal Ivey was brief, as the 32-year-old is accepting an offer from a Chinese team and won’t sign another 10-day contract with Oklahoma City, reports Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman. The 10-day deal he signed with the Thunder on January 16th expired after Saturday’s win against the 76ers.

Ivey appeared in only two games for a total of five minutes in his latest stint with Oklahoma City. The Harlem native also played for the Thunder during the 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons. The Thunder had ostensibly brought back Ivey to provide depth in the wake of Russell Westbrook‘s injury, though it doesn’t appear they needed to call on Ivey for any significant playing time. It’s unclear whether Oklahoma City had any interest in bringing him back on a second 10-day deal.

Slater doesn’t say which Chinese team Ivey is joining, but he could be eligible to return to the NBA as early as next month if his team in China fails to make the playoffs. Regardless of which Chinese team he signs with, the Jim Tanner client will have a shot at returning to American soil before the NBA regular season is over.

Northwest Notes: Thomas, Roberson, Jazz

January 27th, 2014 at 7:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Now in his fifth NBA season, Ty Lawson is looking to make his final All-Star push before teams are selected, writes Aaron J. Lopez of Nuggets.com. The Nuggets guard is historically a slow starter, but he has scored in double figures in 39 of his 41 games and is averaging 17.9 points and 8.9 assists – both career-highs. In his past 12 games, Lawson is averaging 18.5 points and 11.1 assists with ten double-doubles. While Lawson hopes to punch his ticket for New Orleans, let’s take a look at today’s news out of the Northwest Division..

Jazz newcomer Malcolm Thomas has bounced around a bit but he’s hoping to stick with the club so that he can build on what he learns, writes Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune. Meanwhile, GM Dennis Lindsey told reporters, including colleague Steve Luhm, that Utah has had the former Spurs forward on their radar for some time. Thomas was in the middle of getting a pedicure when he found out Utah was claiming him, writes Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.
The Thunder announced that they have assigned Andre Roberson to the Tulsa 66ers of the D-League. In 19 games (four starts) with the Thunder this season, Roberson is averaging 1.7 points and 2.1 rebounds in 7.9 minutes per game. Roberson has seen action in seven games (all starts) with the 66ers this season and recorded averages of 16.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.86 steals and 1.29 blocks in 37.3 minutes. He’s quite familiar with the drive from OKC to Tulsa, as our running list of D-League assignments shows.
Lee Benson of the Deseret News writes that outgoing commissioner David Stern helped save the Jazz and the NBA as a whole.

D-League Notes: Canaan, Roberson, Rice Jr.

January 20th, 2014 at 8:42pm CST by Cray Allred

Playoff teams in both conferences have tweaked their rosters with some recent D-League maneuvers. Here’s a look at the moves the Rockets, Thunder, and Wizards are making with their rookie players..

The Rockets have re-assigned point guard Isaiah Canaan to the Rockets’ D-League affiliate Rio Grand Valley Vipers, according to the Rockets’ official Twitter account. Canaan has spent a third of this season at Rio Grand Valley.
The Thunder called up shooting guard Andre Roberson from the Tulsa 66ers D-League squad, per NBA.com. Roberson is only averaging 8.4 MPG, but has made four starts in place of Thabo Sefolosha when the latter has sat out due to injury.
The Wizards are sending shooting guard Glen Rice Jr. down to the Iowa Energy, per The Washington Post’s Michael Lee, in what head coach Randy Wittman described as a rehabilitation stint.

D-League Notes: Roberson, Thomas, Hairston

January 19th, 2014 at 3:45pm CST by Zachary Links

The Thunder announced that they have recalled forward Andre Roberson from the Tulsa 66ers of the D-League. During his most recent stint with the 66ers, Roberson averaged 17.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 3.0 steals, 2.5 blocks and 40.5 minutes while helping the team to a pair of road wins at Bakersfield and Los Angeles. Over three assignments this season, the forward is averaging 16.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.9 steals and 1.3 blocks in 37.1 minutes in seven games (all starts). Here’s more out of the NBADL..

The Spurs today announced that they have recalled forward Malcolm Thomas from the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League. In 10 games with the Toros this season, Thomas is averaging 15.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.40 blocks in 32.6 minutes. The San Diego State product was signed by the Spurs on Dec. 3.
Scott Rafferty of Ridiculous Upside recaps P.J. Hairston‘s D-League debut. The former UNC forward led the way with a team-high 22 points in 28 minutes off the bench.
Dakota Schmidt of Ridiculous Upside checked in with Red Claws coach Mike Taylor to discuss Rajon Rondo‘s recent workout with the team, his relationship with Celtics coach Brad Stevens, and some of Maine’s impact players.